Dog Food Allergies

Approximately 10% of all dog allergies are food related. When you think about how many dogs there are out there, this is an extraordinary number. Some dog allergies related to food are so mild that you may never notice them, but some dogs suffer from chronic allergies. In other words, dog allergies are just like human ones in that they come in varying degrees. This article will give you a little insight into the world of dog food allergies, highlighting the main sources and reactions that all owners should know about.

Dog allergies related to food can become noticeable from the age of five months, but can be diagnosed in dogs as old as eleven or twelve years old. They can in fact be caused by a variety of sources, some of which are more common than others. The most common sources are beef, soy, corn, wheat, chicken, eggs and dairy products. Unfortunately, most dog foods often have one or more of the ingredients above as an integral element of their composition. As a result, an owner will often have to experiment in order to find exactly which element it is that causes the dog allergy.

A dog can have a variety of allergic reactions to any one of the products listed above. Dog allergies may cause hair loss, repeated ear infections, hot spots, scratching and skin conditions. It is likely that a combination of the symptoms above will highlight a dog food allergy, but the main problem owners have to deal with is that they can also highlight a number of other ailments and so veterinary advice must be sought in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

It is wise for every dog owner to experiment with different foods when they first get their pooch by trying several different dog foods for a week each. This will alert you to any dog allergies that they may have and enable you to avoid the culprits in the future. Your dog may not have any food allergies, but the earlier they can be detected the better the chance you stand of making sure that they experience minimal discomfort in the future!

Cures For Dog Allergies

If your pet pooch is suffering from some sort of dog allergy and you have an accurate diagnosis then you have overcome the hard part of the whole process! Believe it or not, it is easier to treat dog allergies than it is to diagnose them. Once you have an accurate allergy diagnosis, all you have to do is find the right cure and administer it. The sure will largely depend on the nature of the dog allergy, but below is a quick guide to help you find the right solution for you and your pet!

Common sense cures – Common sense cures will work for milder dog allergic reactions. For example, altering the diet can solve a food allergy, just as altering a dog’s immediate environment can alleviate a skin or contact allergy. Of course, these solutions depend on how vigilant an owner is and how much time and effort he or she is prepared to spend doing a variety of experiments in the quest to find a cure!

Topical oils – Topical oils can be administered to ease dog allergies of the skin in the form of shampoo or cream. They tend to offer short-term relief for your dog but frequent application can serve to cure the lingering side effects of dog allergies over a longer period of time.

Antihistamines – If you prefer, you can always look to medications in order to find a cure for dog allergies. There are a number of medications, antihistamines for example, that can serve to sooth the side effects of dog allergies without causing long-term dependency. They can be given within food and take various lengths of time to work their magic, depending on how severe the initial dog allergy reaction is.

It is obviously best to seek veterinary advice before administering any type of treatment to your dog because you may do more harm than good. Even though you mean well, this will be of no comfort to your companion. Dog allergies can be mild or aggressive, but you will not know until you have sought advice. You will then be better quipped to choose a solution that is in the best interests of your dog.